Push-off device for hand truck

ABSTRACT

A push-off mechanism for attachment to any size hand truck comprising individual pivot support members removably connected by means of clamps to the side members of the hand truck. Lever bars removably mounted on the pivot support members on the straddle side of the side member of the hand truck. The bottom end of each lever bars provided with longitudinally extendable members, the distal ends of which have means for supporting a laterally extending shaft which serves as the kick-off member. The top end of the lever bars have means for connecting a laterally extending shaft for manually pivoting the lever bars.

United States Patent 1191 Miller [541 PUSH-OFF DEVICE FOR HAND TRUCK [76] Inventor: Terry G. Miller, 1469 Campbell Road,-No. 40, Houston, Tex. 77055 22 Filed: April 14,1971

21 Appl.No.: 133,896

[52] US. Cl. ..214/5ll, 214/370, 280/4227 [51] Int. Cl. ..B62b 1/09 [58] Field of Search .....2l4/5l 1, 514, 82; 280/4729, 280/4727 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,978,127 4/1961 German ..214/511 x 3,486,651 12/1969 Gottinger.

1,462,233 7/1923 Kerr 10/1968 Botello ..2l4/5ll 1 Jan. 23, 1973 Primary Examiner-Albert J. Makay Attorney-Walter Leuca [57] ABSTRACT A push-off mechanism for attachment to any size hand truck comprising individual pivot support members removably connected by means of clamps tothe side members of the hand truck. Lever bars removably mounted on the pivot support members on the straddle side of the side member of the hand truck. The bottom end of each lever bars provided with longitudinally extendable members, the distal ends of which have means for supporting a laterally extending shaft which serves as the kick-off member. The top end of the lever bars have means for connecting a laterally extending shaft for manually pivoting the lever bars.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDJAH23 1975 3,712,496

INVENTORv TERRY 6. M LLER Y (Va/21C) CZEM ATTORNEY PUSH-OFF DEVICE FOR HAND TRUCK BACKGROUND OFTI-IE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to hand trucks and more particularly to a push-off attachment therefor.

2. Description of the Prior Art Hand trucks are designed and manufactured in their conventional form for the reason that their ultimate uses are so varied that it is not possible to predict the type of articles to-be transported thereby nor the mode of operation and manner of handling the articles thereon. I am not aware of more than a fewh'andtrucks in prevalent and popular use which were designed and manufactured for the different articles tobe trucked". I

Consequently; to facilitate the operation of a hand truck by attaching. a push-off device, such push-off device will be designed for the hand truck to-whi'ch it will be attached and such push-off mechanism of the prior art will not be adaptable to any other typehand truck, albeit of slight modification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have invented a push-off mechanism for a hand members forpivotal movementon'the straddle side of the side members of the hand truck, push-off shaft laterally connecting the lever bars at their lower adjustable end and a shaft laterally connecting the lever bars at the top endsthereof to be engaged by the operators hand or foot'to' cause the pivoting of the lever barsand effect the p'ush-ofi action. 7

Other objects and advantages'will become obvious from astudy of the details of construction and operationas more fully hereinafter described and claimed,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings" forminga part thereof, which illustrate a preferred embodimentofthepresent invention and in which:

. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTI-IE DRAWING FIG. 1 is apersp'ective view of the component part of my invention assembled 1 onto a hand truck, shown broken in part, to form the push 'off device;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the push-off device my invention shown in operative relation with the hand' truck;

FIG. 3 isa detail perspective'view of the pivot support member.

DESCRIPTION or THE PREFERRED" EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, reference numeral designates generally the assembled push-off mechanism of my invention. My invention comprises pivot support members 12 and 14, each of which, as best shown in FIG. 3, is formed by fixing a pin 16 to the convex side of a curved plate 18. Pin 16 is fixed on curved plat 18' by means of weldment, for example and positioned so that their respective axis are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of curve plate 18. One pin end of pin 16 overhangs the side edge of curved plate 18. Pin 16 is positioned at the mid-portion thereof so thatthe curveplate portion at bothends will seat the bands of clamps 201 next provide lever bars 22 and 24 for mountingon said pivot support members 12 and I4 respectively. Lever bar 22 and 24 are longitudinally formed so that upper ends 26' and 28 respectively, extend rearwardly of side members 30 and 32 of hand truck 34, and lower ends 36 and'38 of saidlever bars 22 and 24, respectively, extend forwardly of said side which are selectively aligned with a plurality of holes 48 and 50 in lever bar extension members 52 and 54 Lever bar extension members 52 and 54 are connected to lever bars 22 and 24 by means of bolts 56. Axle holes 58' are provided in the distal endsof lever bar extension mer'nbers52 and 54 to rotatively receive push-off shaft 60. Roller means 62 are provided on shaft 60 to reduce the sliding friction as it is forced against the article being trucked. Axle holes 64 are provided in the upper ends 26 and 28 of lever bars 22 and 24 for receiving the ends of hand or foot shaft 66.

In the operation of my invention, the individual pivot support members 12 and 14 are mounted on side members 30 and 32 of hand truck 34 and positioned thereon so that pins 16 of each pivot support member 12 and 14 are axially aligned. Pivot support members .12 and 14 are releasably connected to the side membersof hand truck 34 by means of clamps 20. Pivot support members 12 and 14 are also positioned on side'members of truck 34 so that the overhanging portion of pins 16 overhang the outside of side members 30 and 32 thereof. Lever bars 22 and 24 are pivotally mounted on pin 16 by inserting the end of pin 16 in'holes 40 of collarmeans-42 and lever bars 22 and 24.- Lever bars extension members 52and 54 are connected to lever bars 22 and 24 at lower ends 36 and 38 by means of bolts 56. Holes 44, 48 and 46, 50in the respective bar members are aligned to provide the proper vertical adjustmentfor lever bar extension members 52 and 54. The ends'of push-off shaft are inserted in axle holes 58 in the distalend of lever bar extension members 52 and 54. Likewise, the ends of hand or foot lever shaft 66 are inserted in the holes 64'provided therefore in the top ends 26 and 28 of lever bars 22 and 24.

It is obvious from the above description taken together with the drawing that the component parts of the push-off mechanism 10 of my invention are connectedto handtruck 34 in such a way that the width and length of the hand trucks may vary considerably and my push-ofi mechanism 10 may be' assembled thereto without modification'to fit different size and different style hand trucks.

lclaim: 1. Component parts of a push-off device for a hand truck including:

pivot support members,

each of said support members comprising a plate member formed to seat on the side member of said hand truck,

a pin fixed to said plate memberto horizontally diametral dimension to rotatably engage said pin of said pivot support member;

a pair of lever bar extensions having plurality of holes substantially the length thereof, and a bore in the distal end of said lever bar extensions;

releasable means for connecting said lever bar extensions and said lever bars through said plurality of holes in said lever bars and said lever bar extensions;

a shaft member laterally extending between said lever bar extensions and supported in said bores; and

a second shaft member laterally extending between said lever bars and supported in said holes in the other end of said lever bars.

t i l t i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIUN Patent No. 1 Dated y 1975 'T 0 l1 ln'ventor(s) terry 3 ler It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent, and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column}, aqf t gilj Pola im 1" insert claim as jollows:

"-' 2. Component parts of a push-off device for afhand' truck including? pivot support members, each'of said support members comprising a plate member formed to seat on the side member of said hand truck, a pivot joint fixed to said plate member, and means forireleasably connecting each, of said, plate members to a side member of said hand truck} a pair oflever bars, each-thereof having a plurality of holes 7 in one .end thereof and a hole in the other endth'ero'of, and'means intermediate the ends thereof to engage said pivot joint of said plate member; a pair of lever ;bar"exte-nsions having plurality of holes spaced substantially the length thereof, and a hole in the distal end of said lever bar extensions; releasable means for connecting said lever bar extensions and said lever bars through said plurality of holes in said lever bars and said lever bar .extensions a shaft member laterally extending between said lever bar extension and-supported in said-bores; and a second shaft. member laterally extending between said lever bars and supported in said holes in the ot-herend of said lever bars; I

Signed an sealed this 7th day of January 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

'HcCOY M. GI BS.ON' JR. a C. MARSHALL DANN attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-105O (10-69) y USCOMWDC 1 us covrnumzm PRINTING OFF\CE 930 UNITED STATES PATENT @UFFME VQERTH%QATE @F QQRREQTbdN Patent No. 3,712,496 7 Dated Jan. 23, 1973 Inventor(s) Terry G. Miller It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In claim 1, column 3, line 11, the letter "a" should be deleted; line 12, the letter --a-- should be inserted before "pair"; line 16, "bore" should be changed to -hole--; and line 12 should be indented as a main paragraph. Column 4, line 3, before "plurality insert -a--, and after "holes" add --spaced--; in line 4, change "bore" to --hole--; in line 11, change "bore" to -hole--; and lines 10 and 13 should be indented as main paragraphs.

Claim 1 as corrected should read as follows:

1. Component-parts of a push-off device for a hand truck including: pivot support members, I

each of said support members comprising a plate member formed to seat on the side member of said hand truck, a pin fixed to said plate member to horizontally overhang said plate member, and means for releasably connecting each of said plate member to a side member of said hand truck; a pair of lever bars,

each thereof having a plurality of holes in one end thereof, a hole in the other end thereof, and a hole intermediate the ends thereof, said hole intermediate the ends thereof having a diametral dimension to rotatably engage said pin of said pivot support member;

FORM PO-IO SO (10-69) USCOMM-DC 603164 69 1. U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: l9 69 O-366-334 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE CERTEHQATE Qt CGRREGHQN Patent No. 3, 712, 496 Dated Jan, z3,' 1973 Inventor (s) rry G. Miller It is certified that: error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

a pair of lever bar extensions having a plurality of holes spaced substantially the length thereof, and ahole in the distal end of said lever bar extensions;

releasable means for connecting said lever bar extensions and said lever bars through said plurality of holes in said lever bars and said lever bar extensions;

a shaft member laterally extending between said lever bar extensions and supported in said holes; and

a second shaft member laterally extending between said lever bars and supported in said holes in the other end of said lever bars.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of November .1973.

(S A Attest:

EbWARb MmLETGHEfiJR. RENE D-. YTEGTMEYER V v Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents FIORM PC4050 uscoMM-Dc 60376-P69 U.S GOVERNMFNY PRINTING OFFI CE: 19690-366-334 

1. Component parts of a push-off device for a hand truck including: pivot support members, each of said support members comprising a plate member formed to seat on the side member of said hand truck, a pin fixed to said plate member to horizontally overhang said plate member, and means for releasably connecting each of said plate member to a side member of said hand truck; a pair of lever bars, each thereof having a plurality of holes in one end thereof, a hole in the other end thereof, and a hole intermediate the ends thereof, said bore intermediate the ends thereof having a diametral dimension to rotatably engage said pin of said pivot support member; a pair of lever bar extensions having plurality of holes substantially the length thereof, and a bore in the distal end of said lever bar extensions; releasable means for connecting said lever bar extensions and said lever bars through said plurality of holes in said lever bars and said lever bar extensions; a shaft member laterally extending between said lever bar extensions and supported in said bores; and a second shaft member laterally extending between said lever bars and supported in said holes in the other end of said lever bars. 